Role & Responsibility Charting (RACI)

1 Role & ResponsibilityCharting (RACI)By Michael L Smith and James ErwinSee RACI Template Sandra DiaferioRole & Responsibility ChartingPage 2 of 14 OVERVIEWD efinitionResponsibility Charting is a technique for identifying functional areas where thereare process ambiguities, bringing the differences out in the open and resolvingthem through a cross-functional collaborative Charting enables managers from the same or differentorganizational levels or programs to actively participate in a focused andsystematic discussion about process related descriptions of the actions that mustbe accomplished in order to deliver a successful end product or DefinitionsResponsibility Charting is a way of systematically clarifying relationshipspertaining to.

2 1. Communication or actions required to deliver an acceptable product ror service2. Functional roles or departmental positions (no personal names).3. Participation expectations assigned to roles by decisions or ActionsRole & Responsibility ChartingPage 3 of 14 THE Responsibility Charting THEORYM anagers and supervisors are not accountable for everything in theirorganization. Responsibility Charting ensures accountability is placed with theperson who really can be accountable for specific work. Often this results inaccountabilities for actions being moved down to the most appropriate has some process role in their job. Because of differing perceptions,one person s view of their role may be quite different than another s.

3 Roleperceptions held today will change tomorrow even though the job activitiesremain the same. There are three (3) basic assumptions in any role. They are:1. ROLE CONCEPTION:What a person thinks his/her job is andhow the person has been taught to doit. His/her thinking may well beinfluenced by many false assumptions( , misleading titles, training receivedfrom a predecessor during his or herlast week on the job, etc.)2. ROLE EXPECTATION:What others in the organization thinkthe person is responsible for, and howhe/she should carry out thoseresponsibilities. Others ideas may alsobe influenced by incorrect information( , the way it was at a former job,priority changes, assumptions,inconsistent messages from leadership,etc.)

4 The role expectation is usuallybased on the output of results expectedfrom the ROLE BEHAVIOR:What a person actually does in carryingout the & Responsibility ChartingPage 4 of 14 Responsibility Charting reconciles ROLE CONCEPTION with the ROLEEXPECTATION and thus, ROLE BEHAVIOR becomes more predictable andproductive!. Ideally, what a person thinks his or her hob is, what others expect ofthat job, and how the job is actually performed are all the same. The RACI process is a tool to lock all elements in place. Working with other processproviders provides a real time consensus that clarifies who is to do what, withwhom and when. This is of great benefit for overall process substandard product or process can often be tracked back to a fault in thechart.

5 Common faults in the chart include: an action not included on the chart(that should be), a position failing to perform as assigned or a missing ormisapplied Responsibility code. The highly visible and collaborative nature of thecharting process promotes rapid and effective updates/corrections as well asbetter understanding by those involved in the THE NEEDThe need for managers and supervisors to clarify roles and responsibilities doesnot end after the Responsibility Charting process is complete; it must be anongoing activity. Managers need to acquire a sixth sense so they can recognizethe symptoms of role confusion and determine when the process needs to berepeated. Perception drift is natural. The identification and elimination of drift is important to the company s overall well being as it relates to cost, service symptoms of role confusion are.

6 Concern over who makes decisions Blaming of others for not getting the job done Out of balance workloads Lack of action because of ineffective communications Questions over who does what A we-they attitude A not sure, so take no action attitude Idle time Creation of and attention to non-essential work to fill time A reactive work environment Poor morale Multiple stops needed to find an answer to a questionRole & Responsibility ChartingPage 5 of 14 roles AND RESPONSIBILITIESCHARTING R The Doer The doer is the individual(s) who actually complete the task. The doer Isresponsible for action/implementation. Responsibility can be shared. Thedegree of Responsibility is determined by the individual with the A.

7 A The Buck Stops Here The accountable person is the individual who is ultimately answerable forthe activity or decision. This includes yes or no authority and vetopower. Only one A can be assigned to an C In the Loop The consult role is individual(s) (typically subject matter experts) to beconsulted prior to a final decision or action. This is a predetermined needfor two-way communication. Input from the designated position is I Keep in the Picture This is individual (s) who needs to be informed after a decision or action istaken. They may be required to take action as a result of the outcome. It isa one-way & Responsibility ChartingPage 6 of 14 Responsibility Chart The 5-Step Process1. Identify work process Start with high impact areas first Don t chart process that will soon change Work process must be well defined- Fewer than ten activities implies the definition is toonarrow- Greater then 25 activities implies definition is toobroad2.

8 Determine the decisions and activities to chart Avoid obvious, generic or ambiguous activities, suchas:- Attend meetings - Prepare reports Each activity or decision should begin with a goodaction verbEvaluateScheduleWriteRecordDetermine OperateMonitorPrepareUpdateCollectApprov eConductDevelopInspectTrainPublishReport ReviewAuthorizeDecide3. Prepare a list of roles or people involved in those tasksRoles can be individuals, groups or entire departments Can include people outside your department our outside thecompany- Customers, suppliers, etc. roles are better than individual namesRole & Responsibility ChartingPage 7 of 14- RACI chart should be independent of personalrelationships so the chart would still be valid if allnew people filled the roles tomorrow4.

9 Develop the RACI chart As a general rule, first assign R s then determine who has the A, then complete C s and I s For larger groups or more complex issues, an independentfacilitator is required Meeting time can be significantly reduced if a straw model list of decisions and activities is completed prior to meeting5. Get feedback and buy-in Distribute the RACI chart to everyone represented on thechart but not present in the development meeting Capture their changes and revise chart as appropriate Reissue revised RACI chart Update as necessary on a on-going basisThe ideal group size is four to ten peopleA follow-up meeting may be necessary ifsignificant changes are madeRole & Responsibility ChartingPage 8 of 14 RACI CHARTINGAn ExampleMotherFatherJohnSallyMarkKids*Fee d the dogACRPlay with dogIIARTake dog to vetRA/RCMorning walkCA/RREvening walkCA/RRWash dogCA/RClean up messCARDEVELOPING THE ACTION LISTAn important element of Responsibility Charting is developing theactions to be charted and agreed upon.

10 The lists can be developed inseveral ways. One effective way to gather information on functions,decisions, or activities is in a one-on-one interview. This interview is ananalytical questioning process and ranges from broad questions such as what are the department s objectives? or, what must the teamaccomplish? to very specific questions involving inputs and outputs ofwork, to and from the alternative to the interview is a group brainstorm or idea generationtechnique with representatives from the process participant departments. A facilitator would record the actions which then could befine-tuned in subsequent group & Responsibility ChartingPage 9 of 14R A C I Chart ReviewVertical AnalysisFindingPossible InterpretationLots of R sCan this individual stay on top of so much?